Quebec Appellate Court Refuses U.S. Extradition Request Because Mandatory Sentence Violates Human Rights

On August 25, 1994, the Quebec Court of Appeals held that the Canadian Government could not grant an extradition request by the U.S. Government because extradition in the circumstances contemplated would make the defendant face a 20-year minimum sentence in the U.S., thereby violating the Canadian Charter of Rights. The case is unprecedented in Canada although it reflects a trend internationally to integrate and provide priority for international human rights within international criminal cooperation and extradition...(more)